When Two or Three Come into Agreement

I always grimace when I hear this verse quoted in the Church. I grimace because I`ve seen people twist this verse into something that it`s not too many times. And it is a dangerous practice that can have catastrophic consequences. When reading the Bible, the context cannot be ignored. 30. And he didn`t want to; but he went to throw him in prison until he paid the debt, and here Jesus transmits in a living way the intolerable injustice and impudence that even the servants have seen in this act of the one who has so recently been placed under the heaviest obligation to their common lord. Verses 21-35 Although we live entirely on mercy and forgiveness, we are late in forgiving the transgressions of our brethren. This parable shows how much God is provocative from His family on earth and how unbelieving His servants are. There are three things in the parable: 1. The wonderful sweetness of the Master. The guilt of sin is so great that we are unable to pay for it.

See here what all sin deserves; It is the wages of sin to be sold as slaves. It is the folly of many who are firmly convinced of their sins to imagine that they can satisfy God for the wrongs they have done to Him. 2. The undue rigor of the servant towards his companion of service, regardless of the grace of his master towards him. Not that we can make it easier for ourselves to harm our neighbor, for it is also a sin against God; But we should not aggravate the fact that our neighbor is hurting us, nor study revenge. May our grievances, both over the wickedness of the wicked and the afflictions of the afflicted, be brought to God and left with Him. 3. The Lord rejected the cruelty of His servant. The greatness of sin increases the richness of the forgiveness of mercy; and the pleasant feeling of forgiveness goes a long way in getting our hearts to forgive our brothers and sisters. We should not assume that God actually forgives man and then attributes his guilt to him to condemn him; But this last part of the parable shows the false conclusions that many draw from the fact that their sins have been forgiven, even though their reverence shows that they never entered the Spirit or experienced the sanctifying grace of the gospel. We do not properly forgive our offending brother if we do not forgive from the bottom of our hearts. But this is not enough; We must also seek the well-being of those who insult us.

With what justice will those who, although bearing the Christian name, insist on the ruthless treatment of their brothers and sisters be condemned! The humble sinner relies only on free and abundant mercy through the ransom of Christ`s death. Let us strive more and more so that God`s renewed grace will teach us to forgive others while hoping for His forgiveness. Matthew 18:19 (MSG) When two of you gather at something on earth and say a prayer, Heavenly Father acts. 15. Besides, if your brother rapes you, go and tell him his guilt between you and him alone: If he hears you, you have won your brother, and that.–Probably our Lord still referred to the late quarrel, Who should be the greatest? After the rebuke – so sweet and captivating, but nevertheless so dignified and divine – under which they would undoubtedly be wise, perhaps everyone would say: it was not I who started, it was not I who launched unworthy and irritating insinuations against my brothers. Be that as it may, says our Lord; but since such things will happen often, I will show you how to proceed. First of all, do not blame your offending brother, and you do not burst on him in the presence of unbelievers; But take him aside, show him his guilt, and if he possesses it and makes amends, you have done him more service than you yourself have done justice. Then, if it fails, take two or three to see how right your complaint is and how fraternal your mind is to deal with it.

If this fails, bring it in front of the church or congregation to which both belong. Finally, if even that fails, consider him no longer as a Christian brother, but as a “sans” – as the Jews did for pagans and tax collectors. Verses 15-20 If a professing Christian is wronged by another, he should not complain to others, for this often happens only on the ground, but go privately to the aggressor, present the case with kindness, and show him his behavior. This would usually have all the desired effects on a true Christian, and the parties would be reconciled. The principles of these rules can be practiced anywhere and in all circumstances, although they are too neglected by everyone. But how few try the method that Christ explicitly commanded all his disciples to use! In all our procedures, we must be guided in prayer; we cannot give enough importance to God`s promises. Wherever and whenever we meet in the name of Christ, we must consider Him as present in our midst. 8 Therefore, if your hand or foot offends you, cut it off and throw it out of you: It is better for you to enter the life that has stopped or been mutilated than to have two hands or two feet that can be thrown into the eternal fire. Verses 7-14 Given Satan`s cunning and wickedness and the weakness and depravity of people`s hearts, it is not possible, but that there be insults. God allows them for wise and sacred purposes, so that those who are sincere and those who are not will be known.

If we have been told beforehand that there will be seducers, tempters, persecutors and bad examples, we should be on our guard. We must, to the extent permitted by law, separate ourselves from what we cannot keep without being entangled in sin by Him. The outward opportunities of sin must be avoided. If we live by the flesh, we must die. If we kill the acts of the body by the spirit, we will live. Christ came into the world to save souls, and He will seriously rely on those who hinder the progress of others who turn their faces to heaven. And should any of us deny attention to those whom the Son of God has sought and saved? A father takes care of all his children, but is particularly tender with the little ones. Matthew 18:19–20 is the encouragement that comes at the end of these instructions. Essentially, Jesus is saying that you follow these steps and leave the consequences to me. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst.

If we ignore the context in which a passage of the Bible is written, we can literally get them to say anything. One of the simplest and most important things we should do when we read the Bible is to look at the context. Read the verses before and after. Verses 1-6 Christ spoke many words of His sufferings, but only one of His glory; But the disciples cling to it and neglect others. Many like to hear and talk about privileges and celebrity that are willing to go through thoughts of work and anger. Our Lord put a little child before them and solemnly assured them that if they were not converted and made as little children, they would not be able to enter His kingdom. Children, when they are very young, do not aspire to authority, do not consider external distinctions, are free from malice, are teachable and voluntarily depend on their parents. It is true that they soon begin to show other temperaments, and other ideas are taught to them at an early age; but they are signs of childhood and make them true emblems of the inferior spirit of true Christians. Certainly, we need to be renewed daily in the spirit of our mind so that we can become simple and humble, as little children and ready to be the smallest of all. Let`s study this topic daily and examine our own minds.

What Jesus does is dictate an order of process to follow when you have a conflict with someone. Here`s how they separated: Mark Moore in The Chronological Life of Christ puts it this way: The prayer in verse 19 is not for “anything” that we might plan or desire, but for a judicial matter. The word pragma often refers to financial matters or legal decisions (cf. 1 Cor 6:1). And the “two or three together” in verse 20 do not speak of worship. (The omnipresence of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit ensure the presence of Jesus even where a Christian is alone.) The word “gather” [synegmenoi] means “united,” not just “gathered.” So what this text promises is that God will put His mark on consent to judicial decisions among church members who come to mutual agreement. 7 ¶ Woe to the world for insults! because it must necessarily be that there are crimes; but woe to the man from whom the insult comes! 10. Make sure you despise – stumble. not one of those little ones; for I tell you, in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father, who is in heaven: a difficult verse; but perhaps the following is more than an illustration: among men, those who care for and educate royal children, however modest they may be, have free entry with their cargo and a level of familiarity that even the highest ministers of state dare not accept.

Probably our Lord thinks that angels, by virtue of their responsibility to His disciples (Hebrews 1:13, John 1:51) have races on the throne, are welcomed there, and a loving intimacy in the treatment of “His Father who is in heaven” that they could not accept in their own affairs. 1. Talk to them privately about the problem. 2. If they refuse to repent, catch two or three people who are trusted in the Church and talk to them again. .